In this article, we go over tips on how you can save money on auto repair and help you learn how to find the best auto repair shop near you.
Finding cheap ways to fix your car can be difficult. Most people follow one of these paths if they want to save on auto repair. They either talk to friends to find a good but cheap mechanic or undertake the repair themselves using free auto repair guides on Do-It-Yourself sites like YOUCANIC.
YOUCANIC is a very user-friendly website that provides articles about the common reasons why problems occur in your car, how-to instructions, troubleshooting, maintenance, and diagnostics. The articles contain real photos, job difficulty, accurate repair time, and an honest cost estimate. What’s interesting is… the articles are FREE. Also, the site does not only provide articles. It also offers video tutorials for an easier demonstration!
YOUCANIC is one of the most reliable auto repair guides. Know why? They tear down their vehicles to provide accurate information.
The Car Repair Guide is applicable for experts, DIYers, and even beginners. If you wish to ask questions and gain full access to the site, you can register for free.
As of now, YOUCANIC has already published over 1000+ articles.
However, if you are not confident enough to fix your car, here are some tips on finding cheap and reliable auto repair shops near you.
An easy-access mechanic is the best for you. Therefore, the first step to finding a good mechanic is finding garages close to your home or workplace. Here are a few ways to find one:
SEEK RECOMMENDATIONS. Consult with people in your neighborhood about where they take their cars for repairs. Your friends, family, coworkers, and neighbors might be able to help. Ask them if their mechanics are reliable, honest, and reasonably priced. If the same name pops up more than once, you have found a promising lead!
CONTACT BUSINESSES. Many businesses rely on cars or other vehicles such as taxis, delivery vans, company cars, etc. They depend on their vehicles to keep their businesses going, so they have a strong incentive to take the best care of them. Find out who services the fleet of a few local companies. If you are unsure, ask the drivers themselves, such as the delivery person who drops off your new couch or the cabbie who takes you to the airport.
READ ONLINE REVIEWS. Online reviews are the final place you can find recommendations – or to confirm those you already have. Just check the reviews carefully, though. Even the best businesses get angry reviews from cranks. Similarly, even a lousy business occasionally receives positive comments from a customer who happens to have had a good experience. If you want to know what most reviewers, those in the middle – have to say, don’t just look at the best or worst reviews.
However, if you have a terrible experience in an auto repair shop that costs you a lot of money, you probably have fears about auto repairs. In this case, finding a mechanic whose work you can trust takes time and effort, but it results in saving you both time and money in the long run. Here are some excellent qualities of a mechanic that will help you spend less money:
REPAIRS ARE NOT PERFORMED UNLESS THEY ARE NECESSARY. A good and trustworthy mechanic will deal with the problem immediately, rather than spending time on unnecessary repairs.
AVOIDING LARGER PROBLEMS. A good mechanic can spot the problem with your car while it is still a small one that is easy to fix. Leaving minor issues unattended can lead to much bigger problems in the future.
THEY ACCOMPLISH THE JOB QUICKLY. An expert mechanic will quickly get the job done so that you can drive your car again. Having your mechanic fix the problem takes several days, which means you can not use your car and must take public transportation, and you will have to pay even more for the repairs.
THEY DON’T TRY TO “UP-SELL” YOU. An honest mechanic will simply fix what needs repairing and leave it at that. Some mechanics fix things that are not broken on purpose. In the case of a simple oil change, they might try to convince you to do a bigger job, such as flushing the cooling system. Other mechanics charge you extra simply for checking or topping off fluids – something you could easily do yourself.
If you wish to choose the best mechanic at the lowest price, here are some tips:
- Find out how much a sample repair costs for different mechanics to compare prices. Look into the price of routine maintenance jobs, such as alignments or timing belt swamps, if you don’t need any changes for your car. Find the average cost of this type of repair by searching for it online along with your car’s make, model and, and year.
- Using this search, note the range of prices you find. Ask each mechanic on your list to provide you with an estimate for the same service. Check if their prices are in line with the pricing range you wrote down. Ideally, the price should be somewhere near the middle range, neither too high nor too low.
- During the repair, ask the mechanic how long it will take them to complete the repair. By comparing their answers, you can learn how long it will take to get your car back after being serviced.
